JOHOR BARU: A 47-year-old security guard has pleaded guilty to sexually abusing one of his twin stepdaughters and physically abusing the other in their home.

The accused was charged at the Sessions Court here on Wednesday (Aug 16) with eight counts of sexual abuse towards one of the girls from 2020 until early August.

The acts were committed from the time the victims were 10 years old until the age of 13 at a unit of a people’s housing project here.

The accused had kissed and touched the victim’s private parts inappropriately and also told her to perform oral sex on him on various occasions throughout that period.

The offences were framed under Section 14(a) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, which carries a jail term of up to 20 years and whipping upon conviction.

He was also charged under Section 16(1) of the same Act, which carries a jail term of five years and caning if found guilty.

Sessions judge Siti Noraida Sulaiman fixed Aug 21 for the preparation of case facts and decision.

The accused was later brought before Magistrate A Sharmini in a different court where he was charged with physical abuse towards the other twin from 2020 until June this year.

He was said to have hit the victim using his hands, legs and belt during that period.

He was charged under Section 323 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum jail term of one year or a fine of RM2,000, or both upon conviction.

The accused, who wore a football jersey, said he understood each of the nine charges and pleaded guilty to all of them.

When Sharmini asked whether the accused had any appeal, he said no.

She then ordered the accused to be jailed for 10 days and fined RM1,000 in default of one month's imprisonment.

Both cases were handled by deputy public prosecutors Nor Fadilah Johanuddin and Shamira Mohd Luthfi Ismail.

The accused was not represented.